Marauders
by Rasiaa
Summary: CURRENTLY BEING REWRITTEN
1. Prolouge

Prologue

The five-year-old boy focused on the fireplace, knowing his father would be home any minute from his job at the Ministry of Magic. Again the blonde snuck a look at the clock, four fifty seven. Three more minutes. He turned back to the fireplace, his almost golden eyes narrowing as if he could make his father appear. Two more minutes, then he came home. The boy fiddled with his hands, anxious. His father had been on a mission for the past two days, and he was supposed to be home in one more minute.

Sure enough, just as the clock struck five o'clock in the evening, the fireplace erupted in green flames, and the boy stood eagerly and rushed forward, hugging his father's legs. The tall man laughed softly, ruffling his son's hair. "Hello, Remus," he said, stepping out of the fireplace. Remus let go of his father's legs and followed him into the kitchen. He watched from the doorway as his father set his folders on the table. Remus's father hugged his wife, who had been standing in front of the stove, cooking dinner. They shared a quick kiss before beckoning Remus into the little kitchen.

The kitchen wasn't all that big in fact; it was just big enough for the little family of three. With a table in the middle of the tiled floor, a stove just a couple of feet away from the entryway, and a window on the other side of the room, it was perfect. Remus's parents had painted it yellow a few years ago when they bough the house, repainted the ceiling white and put a ceiling fan in above the table. Remus went over to where they kept the plates, bowels, and glasses. He pulled three bowels out of the cabinet and set them on the table while his father got the spoons and his mother served the stew.

Remus ate quietly while he listened to his father go on about his mission. It had something to do with the small disappearances that had been occurring of late. "Turns out," he was saying, "one of the people behind the missing muggle-borns is the werewolf Fenrir Greyback, who we wanted in Azkaban anyway. He was the one we were looking for this time, but the bastard managed to get away." He took a sip of his fire whiskey before continuing, "However, I did manage to insult him as did a few others before he got away. He didn't like that much."

Remus's mother cleared the dishes away, shacking her head as she did. Her soft brown hair touched her face slightly as her head moved back and forth. She looked up at the clock on the wall, gasping. "My, my," she cried. "Time flew by, huh?" Remus frowned, then turned back to look at the clock above the stove. It was quarter to eight in the evening. Remus leapt up, running to the bathroom, where he got in the shower before school tomorrow. He would go to Muggle school until he was eleven, then he would go to Hogwarts. His mother was a muggle, so he got to go to both schools.

After he was done in the shower, Remus went into his bedroom and changed into his nightclothes, humming as he did so. Checking his clock, he realized he would have no time to stay up tonight. So he made his way into the living room, where his parents would normally be in the evenings. He saw the couch and chairs were empty with a frown, so he checked the kitchen, failing to find them there as well. He figured he'd check outside, sometimes he'd find them out there, looking at the stars. He opened the back door and peered out. He walked outside further, shutting the door firmly behind him.

He smelled the roses his mother planted in the yard, and his feet got slightly wet from the dew on the grass. He looked up, smiling slightly when he saw the full moon shining above him. Remus shivered when a breeze blew through the yard, bringing along the scent of wet dog. Again Remus frowned, walking to the other end of the yard and peering into the forest that grew behind his house.

For a long time Remus stood there, his near golden eyes shining in the darkness as he searched the thick woods. He took another few hesitant steps forward in an attempt to see deeper. The scent of wet dogs grew steadily stronger the closer Remus got to the woods' edge. When his eyes met those of the, what Remus assumed was the wet dog, he relaxed, laughing at his folly. Of course, there was no danger, why should there be? So when the beast leapt forward, claws outstretched and glinting, teeth bared, Remus panicked. He turned and stumbled backward, eyes wide.

The only thing Remus could register was the pain when the claws connected with his shoulders and he was pinned to the ground. Remus tried and failed to get the beast off of him, tears making his normally sharp eyes fail him, and shock and pain allowing the beast to rake his claws down Remus's back before biting his shoulder, it's teeth sharp as razors and drenched in blood and saliva. He stiffened at the pain that ripped down his spine, through his blood stream and finally setting it's path towards his head. When the pain reached his head, he faintly registered the door opening and his parents calling his name, chasing the beast away before he closed his eyes and settled into a comforting blackness. For him, it was a reprieve from the unbearable pain.

-ooooo-

When he regained consciousness, the first thing he could register was the pain running throughout his whole body. For a brief moment, he was able to wonder, why, why indeed, there was so much pain and what had happened to cause this amount of pain. Hesitant as ever, he slid his eyes open a crack before closing them again at the blinding light. At least he wasn't dead, he figured, only faintly amused by the circumstances for a brief minute. His amusement quickly dissipated, however, when he realized there was something unfamiliar, a drug, maybe, in his arm. It was, he recognized, the source of his momentary discomfort.

Figuring it might be safe to open his eyes, he did just this. The first thing he saw was the ceiling, so Remus grasped the fact that he was lying down on a not so comfortable bed. Another source of discomfort, Remus figured. He already didn't like this place. The second thing he saw was the soft green fabric that surrounded his hospital bed. This annoyed him to no end, for a reason Remus didn't know. Why should he be closed away where he couldn't be seen?

A woman with a check board came in through the curtains, not looking at him. When she did glance up, however, a smile crossed her face. "You're awake," she said. Duh, Remus thought angrily, that was obvious. She looked down at her list then addressed him again. "Remus Lupin, is that correct?" Remus tried to nod, but found he couldn't; it hurt way too much. The nurse seemed to realize this, for she said softly, "Remus, I wouldn't try to move for a while. An unknown werewolf attacked you last week. I'm sorry, Mr. Lupin, but you joined the werewolf affliction when he bit you."

-ooooo-

Remus returned home two weeks later, when he was stable and as healed as he could be, seeing as the wounds he now possessed on his back were cursed. They had managed to heal the bite, so now only four small circles were in his shoulder; from the werewolf's teeth. Remus and his parents had agreed to pull him out of Muggle school, seeing as he was now considered to be too dangerous to be around other children, especially muggle children, and he would be absent so many times it just wouldn't be worth it.

It wasn't like the other students would notice anyway, he didn't have any friends who cared that he left.

-ooooo-

Remus was sitting in his room, basically bedridden by his mother, despite that fact that he told her he was fine, that he could help with moving. They were moving out of the muggle town they currently lived in to one cottage up in the mountains more, far away from people. He could hear his mother and father packing, as they'd been doing since the attack. The new house had a cellar, which was mainly why they bought it. It was a similar size to their current house, and Remus's mother said they'd make it so it looked as much like this one for his benefit. He was a werewolf, not crazy, he'd thought, but was grateful anyway. He liked this house.

Remus snorted and began putting his clothes into his suitcase, purely from boredom. He limped around his room, putting anything and everything into his trunks, deciding this would make him useful. Remus sighed when he realized he could, if fact, fit all of his clothes into his trunk. Not that he was surprised, the Lupin family was quite poor, despite Remus's father's post at the Ministry.

He sat down on his bed and looked at the door, not even blinking when his mother came in. She frowned at him. Before the attack he'd been jumpy as ever, now, he could hear like a dog, and Remus realized with amusement that this new development might scare her slightly. What she said only confirmed his suspicions. "My, Remus dear, that hearing of yours is a little unnerving."

Remus smiled at her, his white teeth sharper than before, as well. She pulled a face before sitting next to him and sighing, "We're ready to go. Your father will meet us there, we're going to drive while your father moves everything. A friend of his from work is coming over to help, and somehow, Tom said he'd get everything there before we get there. Even after twelve years of marriage, Remus, I can't get used to magic. Now, what did you do here?" she asked, gesturing to the trunk on his bed.

Remus gave her another wolf-like smile and muttered with a rough voice, "I packed. Figured I could do something, rather than have Father come in here later…" Remus broke off in a coughing fit, his voice was still a little off from the attack, seeing how close the bite had been to his neck, and by further extent, his vocal chords. His mother wrapped her arms around him as he coughed, muttering soothing words in his ear.

"'M okay," he muttered when it was over. Cherie kissed her son's head and released him. She then closed his trunks and they both got up, Remus a little shakily, and went out to the car. Cherie put Remus's bags in the trunk as he climbed into the passenger seat. She put the key in the car and backed out of the driveway, driving away from their former home. Remus didn't look back, he didn't want too. He simply watched the road as he and his mother drove along silently, to their new home at the bottom of the mountains, some six hours away from London. Remus could tell this was going to be a long drive, a drive that would last until he died.


	2. Chapter 1

Five years later, Remus Lupin was sitting in his room, dreading his upcoming birthday. The one thing he would love would be to spend it in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, but that's impossible. The date was July 15th, and in six weeks was September 1st. The day most witches and wizards from ages eleven to seventeen got on the train to go to Hogwarts. And Remus would not be going.

His birthday fell exactly three months from now, on October 15th. That fact that he knew he'd be spending it here, in this little house at the foot of the mountains, was dreadful. He'd rather it be in school. Remus sighed, turning away from the mirror to grab his book that was on his bedside table. He read the book three times already, but he didn't have anything else right now.

Remus read roughly eight pages before his mother's voice called him from the fictional world on the page, to the real world, where all of his troubles resided. Swearing, he marked his page with some receipt and got off his bed. He dusted his pants off as he walked over to his door, which he then swung open. He walked into the kitchen, where his mother was reading a letter.

He stared at the parchment, not making out the words he read. When he heard his mother scream for him again, he stuttered, "Y-yes?" Cherie Lupin turned to find her son leaning on the doorway, staring at her.

She smiled, holding out the letter to him for his inspection. Remus raised an eyebrow. The only letters he ever got were from St. Mongo's; asking how he was, either that or they were bills for healing. Remus first read the envelope, frowning when he saw that it had his exact address. He didn't even know what bedroom he was in; apparently it was the second bedroom. His frown increased when he saw the Hogwarts symbol on the other side. Why would Hogwarts send a letter to him?

"HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY

Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore

(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. Of Wizards)

Dear Mr. Lupin,

We are please to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary book and equipment.

Term begins on September 1st. We await your owl by no later than July 31st.

Yours sincerely,

Minerva McGonagall,

Deputy Headmistress

Remus's eyes grew wide. He was going to Hogwarts? He tore his eyes away from the letter, focusing on his mother. He smiled, as did she. "Isn't it great, Remus?" she cried, pulling him into a hug. "Your father pulled some strings and the proper precautions have been made. You're going to school in September and that's that!"

"Thank you!" Remus said loudly. "Thank you, thank you, thank you! Did you write a reply?" he asked, pulling away and staring at the paper again, this time reading everything he'd need. When his mother didn't reply, he looked up confused and worried, only to find her shaking her head as she pulled parchment from the cabinet just outside of the kitchen.

"No, I didn't reply, Rem. I wanted you to do that, and say a proper thank you yourself," she said, laying everything on the table as she went to find a quill. "You'll write that you're going, it'll help settle that into your mind, after years of telling yourself you never could." Cherie gave Remus the quill and he began to write that he'd go. When he was finished, he tied the note to the owl and pushed him lightly out the window. The owl squawked and bit him at the indignity, before taking off. Remus watched him fly away before heading up into his room with a quick thanks to his mother.

He closed his bedroom door behind him and leaned against it, breathing heavily. He couldn't believe it. And to think, he'd just been moping about he'd never get to go! What a stroke of luck. Remus began to laugh, smiling a smile of real joy for the first time in quite a while. He let out a whoop of joy and jumped on his bed, laughing.

He settled down, staring at the ceiling, imagining what Hogwarts would be like. When his father got home he'd ask him. Remus couldn't wait until they went to Diagon Alley. There, he'd be able to get all of his school books and read them, to get his first taste of what his life would be like from here on out. Not the same, certainly.

When Tom Lupin opened the door, it surprised Remus, making him knock his head against the headboard in his haste to get away from the door. Tom laughed at his son's discomfort, and the string of curses that followed. "You know you can't say stuff like that, Remus." At that, Remus's eyes went wide and he slapped a hand over his mouth, the tips of his ears turned pink.

Tom walked over and sat on the edge of Remus's bed, making the old mattress creak slightly under his weight. It wasn't that he was fat, it was that Remus weighed about fifty pounds less than what he should for a boy of eleven, almost twelve. "I heard you got your Hogwarts letter today, Remus," his father said.

Remus nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah," he said. "It surprised me, I thought that after I was bitten, I'd never get any sort of education, or, or, life, for that matter. But now, I can get high marks on my O.W.L.s. and N.E.W.E.T.s, and get a recommendation letter from Dumbledore himself!" Remus's eyes lit up with hope, making Tom reluctant to say that no matter what he did, him being a werewolf made him unemployable.

Nevertheless, Tom nodded. "Of course," he said. "Now, in a couple of weeks, probably the last week in August, we'll get your things for school, from Diagon Alley." Again, Remus's eyes lit up. He'd be going to Diagon Alley! "I also got a raise in work, so we'll be able to get you some extra books and an extra robe for school. We'll get you four rather than three. How's that?"

-ooooo-

The next few weeks flew by for Remus, and he almost didn't care about the full moon. Almost. It was still as painful as ever, and it weakened him bedridden. He lost a considerable amount of weight this time, too. Weight he could not afford to lose. Every one of his ribs was visible, and he was shaky, but his eyes were lit up, aside from the pain hidden in the depths of the now all gold eyes.

When the day he'd be going to Diagon Alley rolled around, Remus lost all his excitement for nervousness. He'd not had any human contact aside from his parents in four years. What if they could tell he was a werewolf? What if they knew and shunned him, like his extended family had done, four years ago? Nevertheless, he got out of bed early, which wasn't a good idea, and ate as quickly as possible.

Through all of this, his parents watched with worry. They saw how much Remus wanted this, but they also saw that his health was deteriorating. They couldn't even consider the option of not letting him go; that would crush him. In the end, they stuck to the original plan of letting him go and choose the extra books, and hopefully communicate with other wizards and witches. But Tom knew he'd have to be careful. Not let anyone touch him, since Remus had quite the fever and they'd know instantly something was wrong. But all of Remus's parents' worry evaporated when their son almost dragged his father to the fireplace and said goodbye to his mother in a very cheery manner.

When Remus stepped into the Leaky Cauldron, he admitted to himself that this might not have been a good idea. The man behind the bar counter looked up and smiled a toothless smile, one that crept Remus out. "Ah, Tom!" he said, "What'll it be? Butterbeer or Firewhisky?"

While Remus blinked, confused, his father laughed, "Ah, nothing today, Tom. I'm just heading to Diagon Alley to get my son his school supplies."

Tom the barman, as Remus nicknamed him, frowned. "I didn't know you had a son," he said. It was clear he was confused, seeing as he looked around the near empty, dark bar with a frown.

It's Remus's father's turn to frown. "Who the hell did you think Remus was?" he asked, glaring at Tom the barman slightly. "I talk about him all the time!"

The barman shrugged, cleaning a shot glass with a dirty old rag. "Figured he was a neighbor's kid or something," he replied.

His father did not seem pleased by this answer, but he just walked away, through a doorway that lead into a dead end. Remus followed his father, slightly saddened that the barman, who was one of his father's friends from school, hadn't known that he was his father's son. How many other of his father's friends didn't know?

All of these thoughts disappeared when his father tapped the wall with his wand and the bricks began to rearrange themselves. At first, this surprised Remus, but the shock slowly dissipated when it revealed Diagon Alley. Remus had been here once before, shortly before he was bitten, so he knew what it looked like. Nevertheless, the sight took his breath away, considering how long it had been. The colorful shops and carts that lined the sidewalks were something Remus thought he'd never see again.

His father directs him to a robe shop, he didn't bother looking at the sign, where, Tom said, they'll get his school robes. When they walked in, a small bell went off, though very quiet, made Remus put his hands to his ears to block out the noise. This gesture failed to go unnoticed by his father, who put a sympathetic hand on his shoulder as they walked into the back room.

A boy was standing there with several pins in the black fabric that he had draped around him. A woman was walking around him with a measuring tape, muttering under her breath about the numbers. His hazel eyes move to Remus for a moment, and he frowned. "You okay, mate?" he asked. "You look kinda sick."

Remus gulped, "Yeah," he mumbled. "'M okay." The boy nodded, seeming satisfied. Remus visibly winced when the woman turned her attention to him and snapped for him to get up on the stool next to the other boy, who stepped down once the pins were removed. A tape measure began automatically taking measurements, while the woman walked around him, pinning black fabric over his tattered clothes.

While Remus stood there, arms out, head down, he thought about nothing, and everything. The boy had been the first person he'd spoken to besides his parents and extended family, quite literally, and it had been a remark about how sick he looked. Wonderful. He thought about the books they might get, and the ones he knew he'd get. Another set of thoughts was directed to how much of a prat he thought this woman was, not to mention that she kept sticking him with pins, which only reinforced that idea.

He stepped off the platform with an inward sigh of relief when she went to get the four sets of robes from a place in the back Remus didn't care about. He went over and stood close to his father, ignoring every other person who came in. Once a kid brushed past him, more like shoved him, and Remus stumbled, making the other kid laugh. Remus had looked up, allowing for a fraction of a second for the wolf to come though. He bared his teeth, and he knew his eyes darkened by the look on the kid's face. He ran, his mother glaring at him with disgust. Remus shrugged it off and pushed the wolf to the back of his mind.

When his father paid for the robes, they left the shop and Tom pulled Remus to the side. When he spoke he spoke in Celt, and language Remus's mother was fond of, as they always did when speaking of the wolf. Instantly, Remus knew he was in trouble. "What did you do to make the boy back in that shop so scared?" Tom hissed, his eyes darting back and forth in anger and fright.

Remus replied in the same language, "I bared my teeth and glared at him because he pushed me."

Tom sighed. "You can't do that. When you do, and trust me, Remus, I know what that looks like, you look a lot like a wolf." They were entering another shop, for cauldrons. "I bet that scared the poor kid out of his wits. He probably was a pureblood fanatic, Remus. There are a lot of those type of families out there, don't let them get to you. Okay? Okay," he said when Remus nodded meekly.

Remus's father bought the cauldron and his things for Potions, a class Remus would take a Hogwarts, and everything else but Remus's books. They were saving those for last, so Remus's excitement would last, Remus figured it was best for last. They left the shop and walked a little ways to the second hand bookshop. It was pretty much empty, but Remus didn't care. With a glace for permission from his father, Remus took off.

He saw many of the books he already had, and many he didn't. Remus started at the back of the shop, working his way to the front. He passed many books, about various things he didn't keep track of. He picked up a copy of "The Tales of the Beetle Bard", a book he'd always wanted to read. They'd never been able to find a copy, though. He tucked the book under one arm and continued on. Remus froze when he came to a section on werewolves. He was shocked, actually, at how small a section it was.

Remus pulled one of the books off the shelf, barely glancing at the cover before tucking it under his arm with the children's book. It was general information on werewolves, how they acted, how to identify some in general areas, and other random information. Most of it he knew already, but he always thought it interesting to read about his condition from another's point of view. He hurried off to a fiction section, where he relaxed, scanning the titles and finding three more interesting books before his father found him and took the books, telling Remus he'd pay for them.

The Lupins went to Olivander's Wand shop next, the last thing on the list, Remus noticed. Another bell went off when they entered the shop, a painful ringing to his sensitive ears. This shop was darker than the last few they'd been in, and more cluttered, which annoyed Remus to no end. Thin boxes that had different wands were stacked to the ceiling, and some were scattered on the floor, on the sidelines.

"Hello," a voice said. Remus didn't jump, he heard him coming, but he did turn around quickly. "I'll take your measurements, boy, you just stay here," Olivander said. Remus frowned when the man walked away, muttering. A tape measure began measuring Remus by itself. The man returned with several boxes, one of which he opened and gave the wand to Remus, only to have it be snatched away. Olivander resumed his muttering as they did this with several more wands.

Olivander handed Remus a wand that was plain, dragon heartstring and ash, and Remus felt warmth flow up his fingers into his hand. When he waved the twelve and a half inch wand, scarlet and midnight blue sparks flew out of the end. Olivander clapped, while Tom got out four galleons and sixteen sickles for Remus's new wand. With that, father and son left the shop, heading for the Leaky Cauldron to head home.

-ooooo-

They got home without fail, and Cherie, Remus's mother, asked how it went. Remus responded, "It went great, Mum! Look, I got this new wand; I think he said it was twelve and a half inches, dragon heartstring, with ash. You should see the new books Dad got for me, too. Magnificent."

Cherie smiled, "That's wonderful, Rem." Remus nodded enthusiastically and ran up to his room with the new books, probably to read them all. Cherie turned to her husband, who was sitting on the couch. "How much did everything cost?" she asked.

Tom shrugged, "Just over thirty galleons," he replied. He looked at her, waiting for her next question.

Cherie saw him looking at her and she sat down next to him. "Were there any problems with other children or anything?" she demanded.

"Yeah," Tom replied. "In the robes shop, when we were waiting for the bloody woman to get the robes, some kid came in, a pureblood fanatic, and by the look of him it was Malfoy, and the kid shoved Remus. Something happened, and the kid was running for his life, looked like. Once we got the robes I led Remus away, and I found out he did that thing where he bares his teeth. Merlin, that would scare anyone away, I'm sure. After that he became kinda quiet." Cherie frowned. "He didn't talk to anyone else. I dunno if he noticed, but I'm sure some people could see he's sick. One kid, about his age, asked him about it."

Cherie frowned further, and then sighed. "Oh well," she said. "I'm going to go see what books he got, I'm sure he's dying to show me." Tom laughed, agreeing.

-ooooo-

"Walk through the barrier, here, Remus, and we'll be on the platform. Go on," Tom said, gesturing to the barrier between platforms nine and ten. Remus was going to be getting on the train today to go to Hogwarts, and they had fifteen minutes to go. Remus hesitated, the barrier looked pretty solid. But he walked forward, running slightly. He closed his eyes and when he opened them, he was standing in front of a red train. The train had gold letters that read, "The Hogwarts Express."

His father took the trolley, and said, "Remus, you go ahead and find a seat, I'll load all of this on the train." Remus nodded, taking his book off the trolley as his dad left to the end of the train. Remus got on the train, heading back, to the very last compartment, where he sat down, near the window. His father found him a moment later and put his things in the top part. Remus thanked him and they said their goodbyes, with Remus promising to come back at Christmas and write.

Remus settled into his seat as the train began to move. He waved to his father, granting him a brief wolf-like smile before he was out of sight. When Remus couldn't see his father anymore, he laid on the seat to have a nap.


	3. Chapter 2

A couple of hours later his eyes fluttered open, and Remus sat up, groaning. The hushed whispers stopped when he sat up fully. He narrowed his eyes at the three boys looking up at him from the floor with guilty grins. "Who're you?" Remus demanded.

A boy with black hair that brushed his shoulders and deep, gray eyes stood up, holding out his hand. "Sirius Black," he said.

Remus nodded, shaking his hand. "Remus Lupin," he responded, his voice rough and catching slightly in his throat.

Another boy, also with black hair that stuck out at strange ends, hazel eyes and glasses introduced himself to be James Potter and the cubby boy next to him to be Peter Pettigrew. Remus nodded before asking, "And why, exactly, are you playing Exploding Snap on the floor of my compartment while I'm sleeping?"

James shrugged. "You looked like you were really asleep, but apparently not. I mean, when we came in here, you didn't even twitch. And yet when we pull out a game to cure our boredom hours later, you wake up. Why?"

"Sensitive hearing, I was awake when you came in, I just figured you'd be quiet," Remus said, looking around for his book. When he found it, he marked his page and looked at the boys again. "Why'd you choose my compartment, above all others?"

It was Sirius who answered, "You were the only one who was alone, so we'd figured we'd keep you company." Remus raised an eyebrow. "Besides," he added, "nobody else was playing Exploding Snap in here, so we could."

Remus rolled his eyes and directed his attention to his book, while Sirius, Peter, and James continued their game of Exploding Snap. For the rest of the train ride, Remus ignored them; it wasn't like they were talking to him anyway.

About an hour later, their compartment opened again, this time it was the snack trolley. Sirius and James jumped up, buying as much candy as they wanted. They didn't offer anything to Remus or Peter, but that seemed fine. At least Remus thought it was. Peter pouted somewhat for the rest of the time, making Remus's time on the train that much less enjoyable.

When the woman- and the candy- were gone, Remus glanced out the window. He saw the sun setting, and he saw the faint outline of the almost full moon. The full moon would be in four days, and Remus already was feeling its pull.

The other boys seemed to notice the sun's position, as well, because they began pulling their robes over their heads. Remus had gotten on the train wearing the robes, so that in case of someone getting in his compartment, they wouldn't see the scars that littered his body, everywhere except for his hands, neck, face and…other areas. Remus had no desire for anyone ever finding out he was a werewolf. If his extended family's reaction was any clue, many wizards wouldn't take nicely to finding out he was a "half-breed." So, he wouldn't tell.

-ooooo-

Remus hopped off the train and looked around. It was dark, and raining, so he couldn't really see anything. There was a loud call for the first years, and Remus followed the sound of the voice. He blinked and the large man in front of him. He had quite the beard, and Remus couldn't see his eyes. He led Remus and the other first years away to some boats, four to a boat the man said. Remus got into one, and realized with a start he was with the boys from the train.

"Hey, Lupin, fancy seeing you here, huh?" Sirius shouted over the rain as they moved forward. The other boys returned to ignoring him after that.

When the man shouted "Duck!" Peter and Remus did, while Sirius and James ignored the call, and wound up bumping their heads on some bricks. Peter laughed nervously while Remus cracked a small smile.

The boats docked, and Remus looked up at Hogwarts. It was still raining, and the large man was ushering them inside the Entrance Hall, so Remus didn't see anything other than the large towers and the lights.

Inside was brilliant, though. In front of them, there were tow large doors, and next to those, there were four large hourglasses. One had red gems, the one next to it had blue, then yellow, then green. Remus assumed those were for the four Houses; Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin. They moved into a room, where a woman was waiting, with a scroll in her hands.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," she said. "Now, before we can move into Great Hall and have you take your seats, you have to be sorted into your Houses. They are Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin." She paused, and Remus swore her eyes lingered on him. "Now, while you're here, your House will be like your family. Triumphs will earn you points, rule breaking will lose you points. At the end of the year, the House with the most points will win the House Cup, a great honor. Wait here while we get ready for you." She left.

The first years immediately began talking, mostly about the sorting. "What if we can't do it?" one girl asked, while another kid wondered, "What kind of a test is it? If it is that we have to perform magic, what if we can't? Will we have to leave?"

The nervous muttering and whispering turned into screams when ghosts flew through the walls. One looked rather happy to have found the first years, while another insisted on grabbing people's noses and screeching. When he tried to grab Peter's nose, he screamed, and he pulled away, muttering. "Silly first years, can't take a joke without crying!" he said.

"Shoo!" the woman said, returning. The ghosts left, flying through the walls. The first years turned their attention to her and she said, "We're ready for you, follow me."

She led Remus and the other first years through the doors, into the Great Hall. Remus's eyes widened at the sight. There were four long tables, each one almost filled with students. Above the tables, floating candles provided light, and above that the ceiling… Remus frowned before remembering the ceiling was bewitched to look like the night sky. So, it looked cloudy and like it was raining. At the front, the teachers sat, looking at them with expectant faces. In front of that was a stool, with a hat.

Remus nearly jumped out of his shoes when the hat began to sing. It was first about the founders, briefly, before moving onto the Houses and traits required to get into them. The woman said something about putting the hat on your head to be sorted, and many of the first years let out brief sighs of relief.

She unrolled the scroll and began calling out names. Remus didn't listen; he was busy worrying. What if the hat couldn't sort him because he was a werewolf? What if he had to go home? What if-?

He stopped the thought rolling through his head when the woman called his name. "Lupin, Remus!" she called. He gulped, and walked up shakily to the stool, where he sat. He saw the other students only for a moment before the hat covered his eyes.

A voice spoke in his mind, 'Ah, what do we have here? A brilliant mind, yes, yes, maybe Ravenclaw… No, no, wait…you're a werewolf, Mr. Lupin? Well, better be…' "Gryffindor!"

Remus felt the extra weight on his head disappear. The woman slipped something into his hand before pointing to the Gryffindor table. Remus sat down next to a girl with blazing red hair and green eyes, a first year like him. "Welcome to Gryffindor, Remus, isn't it?" she asked, "I'm Evens, Lily Evens."

He looked up at her, faintly surprised. "Hi Lily, thank you. Yes, my name's Remus Lupin," he said. When all the attention left him, he opened the note.

-Remus Lupin,

I am well aware of your condition, and I've made the appropriate precautions, so you don't harm the other students. Over the summer I had a Whomping Willow planted, and underneath is a tunnel that will lead to the Shrieking Shack. You will be able to transform there. On the day of the full moon, go to Madam Pomfrey in the Hospital Wing if the pain becomes too much. She is aware of your situation and will take care of you. She will explain everything else. Burn this letter in the common room tonight.

-Albus Dumbledore

Remus tucked the note into his robes when James sat next to him. "Hey, Lupin," he said. "Pay attention, Sirius is getting sorted next."

Sure enough, Remus looked up just in time to hear the hat say, "Gryffindor," before a stunned silence followed. Sirius himself looked baffled, but pleased. Remus looked around and saw the Slytherin table was downright shocked. Sirius smirked at them and made a beeline for the Gryffindor table, sitting across from James and Remus. "What a stroke of luck, eh, Potter?" he said. "Pettigrew's next."

Great, Remus thought, all three of the boys from the train made it into Gryffindor. Peter sat next to Sirius, who ignored him. The sorting done, Dumbledore stood up, smiling at them. "Welcome, welcome," he said, "Now, I'm sure you're all quite hungry, so before I give my welcome speech, dig in!"

At the last two words, food appeared on the table. Remus started while James and Sirius and Peter filled their plates and stuffed their faces. He got some bread and ripped it in his hands, putting the little pieces in his mouth. He wasn't considerably hungry, with the full so soon, he wasn't sure he'd be able to eat much at all. Remus got to thinking about the Hospital Wing, and Madam Pomfrey. He wondered what they were like, and what else there was to tell. He certainly had questions, most of which concerned the other students, his study habits, and who all of the staff knew. And how they were going to prevent others knowing about his condition.

Remus was so deep in thought that when James shoved some food onto his plate, he jumped. "Eat up, mate," James explained, shoving some bread in his hand. "You look like you need it, what with how small you are. You must be starving, you didn't have anything on the train, either."

He almost told James he wasn't hungry, but then realized how stupid that might look. He mumbled his thanks and chewed slowly on the bread. When the food disappeared, Remus had eaten the bread James had given him, but the rest of the food had gone untouched. He groaned inwardly when the meal food was replaced with desserts. The chicken smell had been bad enough, but now he just wanted to hurl. He scanned the desserts quickly, reaching for something only when he found a chocolate bar. Those always made him feel a little better, plus, it was his favorite.

He had eaten the one chocolate bar and nothing else when those, along with the plates and other desserts, disappeared. A lot of students groaned, the three boys around him included, but Remus was a little glad. He felt slightly sick. But, like everyone else, he turned his attention to Dumbledore when he stood up.

"Welcome back, students, and for the first years, I hope you enjoy Hogwarts!" he said, his voice echoing in the silent hall. "I have a few start of term notices, one of which is that, the Forbidden Forest, is just that, forbidden. Some of the joke products found in Diagon Alley are strictly off-limits, for a list of items see Mr. Filch, our caretaker. I also wanted to mention that over the summer, a Whomping Willow was planted on the grounds. It is fully grown, and is very dangerous. Therefore, it is off-limits, and if it does hurt you, it is entirely your own fault. Now, off to bed, pip, pip!"

A boy began calling for the Gryffindor first years, and Remus followed him, along with the other first years, out of the Great Hall. They walked up several staircases, and once Peter got stuck in a stair and James had to pull him out while Sirius laughed at him. Remus rolled his eyes. Portraits spoke to everyone, greeting them and welcoming them to school. When they stopped, they were in front of a fat lady in a pink, fluffy dress. "Password?" she asked, bringing a napkin to her face.

The prefect said, in a clear voice, "Zebra tails," and the portrait swung open to reveal a small tunnel-like area. The first years climbed in, followed by the prefect, who was helping the shorter students. The students filled into the common room, a large room colored in red and gold. Couches and armchairs were placed around the room, and a fire burned happily in the fireplace.

The first years made a crescent shape around the room, all of them stared at the prefect, who Remus found out was Percy Thomas. "Welcome, first years, to the Gryffindor common room. The boys dormitories are upstairs and down on your left, girls, the same on the right. You'll find all of your things have been brought up already, so go on up, and get some sleep. I'm sure you're all tired," he finished, and the students filed away.

Remus remained in the common room for a moment longer, just waiting until they were all in the dorms. Then he walked over to the fire, pulling out the note from Dumbledore as he did so. He reread it once more, then knelt down in front of the fire, staring into the flames before flinging the parchment into them. The flames licked at the parchment eagerly, devouring it faster than Remus could read. When he was satisfied that it was gone, he stood up and headed up to his dorm.

He pushed open the door, passing his roommates without glancing at them. He hopped up onto his bed and cast a silencing charm before shutting the red curtains around his bed. Remus found his nightclothes on the pillow, folded nicely. He pulled his shirt over his head, with difficulty, and pulled his other shirt on. He sat down and did the same with his pants. He kept his socks on, not only was he cold, but the had no desire to show the scars on his feet to the world. He curled up underneath the covers and closed his eyes.

-ooooo-

When the prefect was done with his little speech, James led Sirius, and Peter, up to the dorm. They laughed the whole way up, still going on about Peter and the stair, and how stupid the fat lady looked. James pushed the dorm door open, revealing four beds, all set in a U shape around the circular room. The drapes that surround each bed were pulled back, and each bed was made with the owner's nightclothes on the pillow. Their trunks were open next to the beds, their school robes hanging over the top with Gryffindor ties lay on top of those. It gave the room a nice, clean look.

Peter's bed was closest to the door, with a lamp next to it. Next to his bed was some kid's bed, which they didn't know, and then there was a wardrobe, then a window. The curtains began to flutter in the wind when Sirius flung the window open. The window was right next to his bed, then to the right of his bed was James's, then a bathroom door. Then a picture of the sea, and then the door out again.

James leapt up onto his bed, changing quickly, the other two did the same. "Wonder who that other bed belongs to?" James wondered out loud. He had half a mind to snoop through his things.

Sirius shrugged, leaning against the wardrobe. "I dunno. Probably some idiot who won't do our homework," he said, and they all laughed.

Peter said, "That might be it, or maybe someone who is bright, but still won't do our homework."

Sirius snorted, crawling onto his bed. "You might be right, Pettigrew," he agreed.

They all turned to look when the door opened again, and a boy swept in. James recognized Remus, and made to call out to him, but Remus cast a silencing charm and shut the drapes around his bed. "Wow," James said. "Wonder what got his kickers in a twist," he wondered aloud.

Again Sirius snorted, throwing a pillow at James's head. "Probably the prospect at sharing a dorm with you," he guessed. "Now give my pillow back, I need it."

"Then why'd you throw it, you prat?" James demanded, throwing the pillow back at the Black's head. Sirius caught it, and crawled into bed, not bothering to pull a shirt on. James rolled his eyes and took his glasses off, lying down in his bed, facing away from Sirius. Peter followed their lead once he blew out the candle.

Remus heard the whole conversation, and he sighed when the light went out. Apparently his new dorm mates were jerks, not people he'd enjoy sharing a dorm with. He could tell already by the way they threw their clothes on the floor they didn't bother cleaning, either. And to think, they were a little nicer on the train, he thought, rolling over to stare through the crack in the drapes at the open window, at the nearly full moon.


	4. Chapter 3

When Remus woke it was still dark outside, and his watch told him it was just after four thirty in the morning. Of course, he thought stubbornly. He pulled the drapes back slowly, not wanting to wake the other students. He pulled his clothes from his trunk and made his way over to the bathroom, where he cast another silencing charm for the water.

After his shower, Remus almost ran over to his bed and yanked the curtains shut. His dorm mates had yet to wake. Once he was dressed, he pulled the curtains back again and looked at the already messy floor. Well, each of his dorm mates had better learn to clean, he thought with mild disgust. He kicked a path through the clothes, James's stuff he moved closer to his bed, same with Sirius and Peter. He still had another thirty minutes, it was five thirty, and so he picked up the clothes and folded them. He placed their things on their trunks, now folded. And, he now had a clean room.

It had taken five minutes to fold everything. Remus pulled his book form his trunk and sat by the open window, looking at the moon; now slightly bigger than it had been last night. He sighed, but opened his book and read nonetheless. When six came round, he had no desire to go to breakfast, so he would read until eight thirty, so he could have time to get to his first class, Charms. Like he needed it.

At around eight, a shout of, "What the bloody hell happened to the room?" and two thuds of boys falling on the floor startled Remus out of his reading. He glanced up to find James staring at the floor, Sirius standing up, more like stumbling up and rubbing his face, and Peter he couldn't see. He could however, see a mass of moving blankets beside his bed. Remus suspected this was Peter, and when a failing arm poked out of the sheets his suspicion was confirmed.

"The room was a mess, James," Remus said softly. James turned around, startled, to stare at him and Sirius and Peter did as well, once they were situated. "So, I cleaned it this morning," he finished, gesturing to the room.

James and Sirius exchanged glances Remus didn't bother to read and James said, "What time was this? I'm sure I would've heard you!"

Remus frowned, "I think it had to've been around five when I cleaned it. And, when you sleep like the dead, nothing but apparently astonished screaming can wake you."

"We don't sleep like the dead!" Sirius cried. Remus merely nodded, as if to say, "_Sure, whatever you say_." "Well we don't!" he cried again, throwing his arms up in exasperation. Remus nodded again and returned to reading.

"Why aren't you at breakfast, Remus?" Peter squeaked, successfully changing the subject and directing all attention to him.

Remus didn't bother to look up when he replied, "It doesn't start for another hour, Peter." And I'm not hungry, he added in his head.

For the next hour, the three boys got ready; they all showered, got dressed, and laughed the whole time. Remus ignored them successfully until they were ready to go, when they pestered him again. "Coming, Lupin?" James asked him as he pulled his book bag over his shoulder and pushed his glasses up the rim of his nose.

Remus looked at him, thinking of how he didn't want to, and about the blazing headache he had. But still he nodded, pushing himself up off the windowsill, with difficulty, and, after marking his page, followed James, at a distance, down to breakfast.

Once they got there, Remus sat down in the same spot as before and opened his book again. He didn't bother reaching for food, he did, however, drink some pumpkin juice to help cure his thirst. It didn't help; he knew he wouldn't get any raw meat anytime soon. He turned the page and took another sip of his drink. Remus smelt it before he saw it, and as soon as he did; he looked up, his eyes searching. Sure enough, at the Slytherin table, smoke rose from Severus Snape's robes.

Luckily, he didn't have to point it out, because the other Slytherins found it and put it out. Remus relaxed slightly and read his book again. Soon, however, he was interrupted again, this time by slightly raised voices.

"Always pure?" James was screaming. "Always pure? Do you hear this idiot? I thought you hated your family?"

Sirius rolled his eyes. "It is just some French I was taught! And, yes I hate my family, but they are the only one I have!"

"If it is just some French, why'd you say it after all of your fancy titles?"

"It's just something you say! And you asked what my titles were, James!"

"Shut it!" Remus hollered over their voices. "What does french matter?" he asked them both, looking from one angry face to another. After a minute they both sat down, grumbling to themselves as they ate and glaring at each other every once in a while.

Remus rolled his eyes and made his way down to Charms, not wanting to waste anymore time. He made it to Charms just before Professor Flitwick, a small man who stood on books to see him. "Oh," he said. "I didn't expect to see students here ten minutes before first period started. What's your name?"

"Remus Lupin," he replied, taking his notebook from his book bag. "Will I need to take notes, sir?"

"Probably." Remus nodded and took out a quill and ink. He sat there and watched the professor run around, getting ready for the rest of the class. The other Gryffindor first years came in followed by Ravenclaw firsties.

James, Peter, and Sirius came in late, and the three seats available were in the back of the classroom, next to Remus, who was scribbling notes faster than they could read. James took the seat to the immediate right of Remus, and Sirius took the left, leaving Peter to the right of James. "Lupin?" James whispered. Remus nodded. "Mind us copying your notes in the common room?" Again, Remus nodded. He didn't care. "Thanks!"

Their homework for that night would be to read chapter one, on the levitation spell and practice the swish and flick movement. Remus left the Charms room, James, Sirius, who were talking again, and Peter following closely behind. They headed down to their next class; Defense Against the Dark Arts with Professor Ward, who was supposed to be new this year.

Remus and his dorm mates made it down their first, and they took places in the back. Remus was not at the same table they were, though, to his relief. The other boys talking to him so much was starting to freak him out a little seeing as he didn't know what to say.

The class passed without anything out of the ordinary, just him going over what the dark arts were. Remus had two pages of notes on DADA when the class was over. They headed to Herbology afterward, then Transfiguration. They were told the basics of a spell in Transfiguration, something Remus enjoyed. By the time dinner came round, Remus was happier with himself than he had been in years. But that quickly disappeared when the food came.

Remus felt undeniably sick when he watched the others stuff their faces. He barely tried to conceal his lack of appetite. He hated that the full moon was in, what, three days now? And he knew it would get worse, and it was bad now. Another thing that was worse than normal with the wolf. What else?

Again, James noticed that Remus wasn't eating and he asked him, "What's wrong, mate?"

"Nothing," Remus mumbled back, his arms hugging him stomach and his head bowed over the plate.

James shrugged it off and turned back to Sirius and another fifth year in their discussion of Quidditch, a wizard sport where they all fly around on broomsticks or something. Remus listened to their conversation, not registering most things, but some things, like how there were seven players, and that Seeker is most important in James' opinion, and that Sirius thought it was bullshit that first years couldn't make the House teams, seeing as he'd love to play Beater, and James wouldn't mind playing a Chaser. Whatever that meant.

-ooooo-

Remus went straight up to his dormitory when they all made it back into the common room. He felt slightly better, but not by much. For a moment, he wondered if he could go to the hospital now, rather than later. Then he shrugged the idea away, it was absurd. He'd lose too much class time, and he would lose enough already as it was.

Remus went into the bathroom and turned on the shower, climbing into it when he was undressed. He let the steaming hot water run over his body, cleaning away the dirt that had developed over the course of the day. He didn't care that it burned, he'd had worse, much worse, one time after a transformation, the cursed wounds he'd inflicted that time had burned with an intensity not far from that of warm acid, burning through his skin. He still had the marks on his bones to prove just how deep the wounds had really gone.

With those unpleasant thoughts gone from his mind, Remus climbed out of the shower, wrapping a towel around his now clean and red body. He pressed his ear to the door, and upon hearing nothing, he opened it cautiously, looking before he rushed back over to his bed and yanking the curtains shut. He cast a silencing charm around the bed as he dressed into his nightclothes, stumbling slightly on the bed sheets.

Remus had just settled into bed when a stern voice snapped, "Now, be quiet tonight, Potter, Black! I had reports of your voices last night disrupting the other students' sleep! And over a pillow? Quite unnecessary, I think. Goodnight." There was the sound of a slamming door and after a few more moments, laughter.

Remus yanked the curtains back, successfully surprising them. He stared at the two best friends with a straight face, then said, "You heard him, goodnight."


	5. Chapter 4

The next three days passed slowly and painfully. Remus was getting sick, leaving classes to throw up what little he'd eaten and then some. On the day of the full moon he was even worse. At about three in the morning Remus woke with a start, panting heavily, almost like a wolf. He didn't remember what had woken him, but that didn't matter. He couldn't find sleep again after that, so he'd stayed awake, staring at the ceiling. It was almost like the wolf could tell he was in a different place, because he'd never broken through quite so soon, or so viciously.

When the sun came up, shining through the window, Remus groaned, rolling out of bed with hesitation. He almost had considered staying there until nightfall, but that would never work. Probably kill someone if you continue with that train of thought, Remus thought to himself has he dragged himself over to the shower. He got out of the shower an hour later, pressing his ear to the door again. After a moment, he realized they must've all been asleep or gone. So, Remus opened the door and shot across the room, getting dressed after he pulled the curtains around his bed.

When he made it to the common room, he knew right then and there that he'd never make it through the day without help. Remus made his way, slowly, down to the hospital wing, holding his pounding head the whole way there. When he made it there, Madam Pomfrey welcomed him with open arms, leading him to the end of the hospital wing, past all of the beds in white, to a door next to her office. Inside, the room wasn't anything special, but it did have a nicer bed.

"Now, Remus, are there any questions, my boy?" Madam Pomfrey asked, leading him to the bed, where he sat down.

"Yes, Madam. How exactly will I keep up with my studies?" Remus asked her.

"Professor McGonagall will be coming in during her free periods during your recovery to teach you Transfiguration and bring you your schoolwork. Now," she added, "I can also tell you that during your absence, we have prepared lies to feed the school in case they notice. Also, to get down to the Willow, we will go down just before sunset, and I'll pick you up at sunrise, no questions asked. Don't worry Remus; you'll be okay. I'll go get your potions, dear." With that, Madam Pomfrey left, even if it was for a moment, Remus's worries returned.

Madam Pomfrey had answered his questions in one go, like she knew what he'd ask. She probably did know, he mused. There was one answer she left out, though; how will he be stopped from breaking free of the Shrieking Shack? Madam Pomfrey came back, vials in her hands. She set them down on the table, humming slightly to herself. Remus watched her, curious, but not so curious as to ask what she was doing. Remus knew. He'd seen people in St. Mongo's do it often enough; they were medicines and healing potions, no doubt.

When he asked his question about the Shack, she responded absentmindedly about very strong enchantments and spells preformed by Dumbledore himself. That was good enough, he supposed, leaning back into the pillows on the bed as Madam Pomfrey mixed a painkiller for his headache. It was a dark purple color, something Remus didn't want to drink, and so he was surprised when he realized it didn't have any taste at all. Remus felt the effects set in almost instantly. With a sigh, Remus leaned back further, his whole body going limp as he closed his eyes. He faintly heard Madam Pomfrey saying it was good for him to sleep before he lost all sense of awareness to sleep.

-ooooo-

"He doesn't look as sick as he did yesterday, Poppy, you should've seen him, poor boy, he got up, sick and vomiting, but didn't come. He's committed to school," a female voice said. It was close by, in the same room.

"Well, that makes sense, Minerva!" the unmistakable voice of Madam Pomfrey said. "Remus probably thought he'd never have a future!"

"True…"…Minerva? replied.

Remus quickly ran through all of his teachers, realizing after a moment that it was Professor McGonagall. Remus opened his eyes, and Madam Pomfrey was at his side in an instant. "Good, Remus, I was about to wake you. We need to go, right now."

Remus was up and on his feet instantly. He was at first unsteady, but he got his balance back after a second of blinking. The professor was nowhere to be found. He faintly registered Madam Pomfrey saying McGonagall had left before the pain of his headache hit him. But it was too late; through the window Remus could see the sun setting, much too fast for his liking.

Madam Pomfrey gripped Remus's upper arm as she led him out of the hospital into the hallway. They reached the door, and slid outside without a sound. Together, they rushed across the courtyard to the Whomping Willow. It did not stir until Madam Pomfrey got just close enough. Luckily, she had found a long stick and she poked the knot at the bottom of the tree, making it freeze. She came back and led Remus to the hole in the ground, which they slid down.

The tunnel was dark, and only the light of Madam Pomfrey's wand showed Remus which way to go. The roots and dirt above them brushed Remus's hair, as he was short enough to be able to stand in the tunnel. Once or twice he saw spiders hanging from their webs, seeming to stare at them. They reached a dead end and Remus began to panic. However, he found that this was unnecessary when Madam Pomfrey reached up and opened a trap door. Remus went up first, followed by Madam Pomfrey.

The Shrieking Shack was quite the sight. It was dark, seeing as all of the windows that could be found along the walls were boarded up. On the right wall, there was a cupboard, and it looked old. More to the left, there was a chair, upholstered in gray fabric. There was a blanket on the back of it. In the corner next to the chair, more blankets were folded nicely. Most of them had holes in them, but that was good enough, he supposed. Next to that, there was a door, and Remus didn't want to see what was behind it.

"Now," Madam Pomfrey said, setting her wand down on the floor as she came up, "Remus, you can put your clothes in the cupboard or under the blankets, over there. Behind that door, there are stairs, and there's a bed up there. You can rest there, or wait in the chair, up to you. I'll come back later, dear. Anymore questions?"

"Can they hear me?" Remus blurted before he could stop himself. He hadn't meant to ask any more questions, but it seemed his mouth had other ideas.

Madam Pomfrey smiled. "Yes, the villagers can probably hear you, however, Dumbledore has been encouraging a rumor of ghosts here."

Remus nodded, and she gave him a quick hug and disappeared into the tunnel, pulling the trap door firmly shut behind her. Remus looked around, nervous, but he did eventually strip down. He hid his clothes in the cupboard before walking over to the chair and curling up onto it. He almost fell asleep but he knew that wouldn't last. The pain that he could never get used to ripped up his spine and down his legs all at once, making him scream and leap off the chair. He felt his bones break and reform, each break making him howl in pain and a sickening crack echo through the cold, nippy air. Remus felt his nails reform into claws, and his last thought before the wolf took over was how much it hurt.

-ooooo-

The opening of the trap door made Remus regain consciousness. He felt Madam Pomfrey's hands brush the hair out of his face, however, due to the blood in his eyes, he couldn't see her. "Oh, Remus," she whispered. Remus whimpered in pain when he was lifted off the floor and onto a stretcher. A slight jolt from them entering the tunnel again made him lose all sense of direction once more and he slipped into an unnatural sleep.

-ooooo-

Water. That was Remus's first conscious thought, some eight or ten hours later. He opened his eyes to darkness, it must've been later than he thought. When he tried to sit up, he let out a cry of pain, and the door almost burst open in Madam Pomfrey's haste to reach him. "Don't move, dear, that will bring more harm then good, here," she soothed. Remus was lifted up and he felt a cool glass touch his lips. He lapped hungrily at the water in the cup, and when it was gone he leaned back with a sigh. "Let me get your potions, dear," Madam Pomfrey whispered. Light was in the briefly when she opened the door again, but it was gone when it clicked shut quietly.

While Remus waited, he took note of his injuries. Based on the pain in his arm, he figured it was broken for the, what, sixth time? The pain in his shoulder made him think it might, too, be broken, or at least dislocated. There was pain in his right leg, and he figured something had happened there, only he couldn't figure out what. It didn't feel like it was broken, but you never know. The worst pain was near his abdomen, reaching around to his spine. Remus figured that wouldn't- couldn't- possibly be good.

Madam Pomfrey came back in, holding a few potions. She laid them out on the side table, her eyes calculating. She made him drink a red one first, which tasted horrible, but Remus didn't protest. Then she made him drink another, deep red potion, which Remus recognized as blood-replenishing potion. He drank two others, but didn't know what they were. He tried to talk, to ask her about his injuries, but she waved him off, saying it wasn't a good idea to talk. So he went to sleep instead.

-ooooo-

It was the next day by the time Remus could talk again. The first thing he said was, "What are my injures like?"

Madam Pomfrey seemed saddened by this. "Well, Remus," she said, "You broke your arm," Remus nodded slowly, he figured this, "and your shoulder, on the same arm, is dislocated, but I can't fix that until you can move a little more. Your leg, well, let's say that you're lucky I could repair that to a point where it looks okay. And, you seemed to have torn up you abdomen, really badly dear. That will take another week to heal, even with magic, dear."

Remus nodded slowly again. He closed his eyes, and he heard Madam Pomfrey leave again. The door opened again after an hour or so, and Professor McGonagall came in, thanking Madam Pomfrey for something. She came in with books on Transfiguration and his other subjects. McGonagall sat down in the chair next to him, and he smiled weakly at her. She returned his smile with one of her own, but Remus could tell it was hesitant.

"Okay, Mr. Lupin," she said, "How are you feeling?"

Remus blinked at her and muttered, "I've felt better."

She nodded sympathetically. "Yes, I'm sure," she said. Minerva laid the books on the table, taking the Transfiguration one off of the top. "Are you feeling well enough to learn a little bit?"

"Yes, Professor," Remus said, more strongly, and he pushed himself up with his good arm, wincing slightly. He faced his Professor, who was staring at him, an unreadable expression on her face.

She blinked at him, and looked down at the book. "Yesterday, we preformed the spell that allows you to transform a match into a needle. You remember the incantation, and the wand movements for it, I hope?" When Remus nodded, she continued, "When you're out of here, you'll perform that for me. Now, about that homework…"

-ooooo-

Remus braced himself for the pain. It had been three hours ago that McGonagall had come in, and she'd left about thirty minutes ago. Madam Pomfrey had come in not two minutes ago, appalled that he'd lifted himself for the position he'd been in. Turns out, that'd started some minor internal bleeding that Madam Pomfrey, had had to fix. Luckily, it hadn't gotten too far. Madam Pomfrey had said the damage was done, though, so she was about to relocate his shoulder, and had warned him it was to hurt like hell. So, Remus was sitting up slightly, braced against Madam Pomfrey. She had his shoulder and her hands, and Remus was being instructed to breathe deeply and count to ten. Six, seven, eight… crack! Remus cried out, eyes blurring in pain. A few tears slipped down his cheeks, he'd never dislocated anything before, and had been unprepared.

"I'm sorry, Remus, dear," Madam Pomfrey said softly, brushing the tears away from his eyes. "But it had to be done. Ow, you lie down, here, yes, that's it…"

"Madam Pomfrey!" a voice called urgently.

Remus stiffened, he knew that voice. It was Sirius Black. What had they done? Pomfrey glanced at Remus, who nodded, saying he way okay. She hurried out, and Remus listened in on their conversation.

"What is it, now? Oh, it's just you, Black. Dueling in the corridors, again? That's the third time this week, boys!" Madam Pomfrey snapped.

"Snivillus stuck his nose and greasy hair where they didn't belong, again, Madam Pomfrey. He put us up to it!" Sirius replied, his voice high and annoyed.

"Yeah," James said. James? Geez, what did they do, Remus wondered, listening harder.

"Either way, dueling isn't allowed. I thought you knew that boys, from the last time you were here, and Professor Sprout had given you detention."

The two boys mumbled something Remus didn't catch. In return, Madam Pomfrey said, "Yes, well, be that as it may, dueling still isn't allowed. Now, lie down here, while I check on something, and get a potion for that nasty gash on Potter's forehead."

Remus quickly leaned back and closed his eyes, just enough to make it look like he was asleep, and enough so that he could still see her. Sure enough, Madam Pomfrey came in and took the blood-replenishing potion and her wand from the side table. She glanced at him, and left. Remus reined in the urge to snort as he settled more comfortably into the pillows and closed his eyes fully.

Despite all of his feeble attempts, Remus didn't fall asleep that night. He kept thinking over his homework assignments, and all of what James and Sirius might have done to Severus. Eventually Remus gave up, grapping his wand from the side table and pushing himself up. He whispered, "Lumos," and his wand tip lit up, enlightening everything within two yards in a soft, blue light. He set his now glowing wand next to him, and pulled out his homework. He read the first three chapters of his Herbology book for Professor Sprout, and the first four for Professor Ward in DADA. He wrote his essay out for Transfiguration and had almost finished it by the time dawn came and Madam Pomfrey came in. It startled Remus to see her, without a doubt, because he almost spilled his ink all over his essay. She looked shocked to see him up, and a little angry that he hadn't been asleep. Remus gapped his wand and whispered, "Nox," before Madam Pomfrey rounded on him.

"Have you been up all night?" She demanded, hands on her hips. Remus nodded, half ashamed, half not caring. It wasn't, after all, the first time. "My goodness Remus! You should be sleeping, healing, not doing schoolwork! Tsk, tsk, tsk," she muttered. "Let me go get you a potion for sleep, and I'll take those," she added, taking his essays and schoolbooks. Remus proceeded to pout from the moment they were gone to when he fell asleep after taking the sleeping draught.

-ooooo-

Remus was finally released from the hospital wing two days later late in the evening, just before dinner; taking him away with a grand total of five days' worth of classes missed. When he stumbled into his dormitory, his friends were on him in an instant. "Where were you?" "Everything okay?" "What the bloody hell were you doing?" they asked all at once. Peter, at least, was decent enough to ask if he was okay. For that, Remus was grateful, even though it startled him.

Remus blinked a few times at the boys surrounding him, unreadable expressions on each of their faces. "My mother's ill," he lied quickly. "I have to go and visit her every month. Sorry," he added. "But the professors sent the homework, and mine's all done," he told them, moving them aside to reach his bed, holding up the finished essays for DADA, Transfiguration, and Charms up for them to see.

"Mind if I copy some things, then, Remus?" Sirius asked hopefully, reaching out to take the essays. Remus felt Sirius put a hand on his shoulder, and he stiffened.

Remus turned and stared at him, but not before he realized how close the other boy was. He pushed him away, his heart pounding. He hated being touched, hated it with all of being, and he'd never been that close to anyone but the healers he'd dealt with and his parents. But they were a different story. Sirius looked at him with surprise, before pulling a face and reaching for the essays again. Remus handed them over, and all three of his friends crowded around, licking and biting their lips as they looked through the papers to find suitable things to copy. Remus was appalled. Did they really expect him to practically do their homework?

Apparently so.

James handed the papers back after a few minutes with Remus still staring, smiling gratefully at him. "Thanks, mate," he said, "They're all due tomorrow, and we'd've been screwed. Thanks to you, though, we're not!" They all nodded, smiling. Their smiles were starting to freak him out a little.

Remus realized he was still staring, and he winced, successfully wiping the smiles from their faces. He turned around again, stuffing his essays into his book bag, along with quills and ink that he'd had in the hospital. "Whatever, let's just get to dinner," he muttered, setting his now packed bag next to his trunk, ready for the early morning. He also made sure his book was on his pillow, and his nightclothes were underneath before following them out.

They practically ran down the stairs, Remus included, since his appetite had returned with the passing full moon. In short, he was starving, because Madam Pomfrey didn't want him eating anything other than soup due to his now healed abdomen 'not being able to take such rich foods.' The fifth through seventh years that were studying for classes and things stared at them, since they made quite a racket coming down the stairs, and them some when Sirius pushed Peter into James, and then they both fell into the desk. Black laughed at them, taking Remus's hand as they rushed out of the common room and down the halls, now practically racing to the Great Hall.

Naturally, Remus and Sirius won, stumbling into the hall laughing and out of breath. Peter and James followed them in, and James pushed them into the floor, and it was their turn to laugh. While Remus and Sirius scrambled up, still winded, James and Peter had found them seats, and they took them gratefully. Peter didn't even bother to fill his plate like the others, he just shoved a chicken leg into his mouth without and sign of regret, or second thoughts. He piled his plate high with almost everything from the table, and that was while he had the leg between his teeth still.

James and Sirius both filled their plates, before they dug in. Remus wasn't surprised, but he wasn't able to scold them on their table manners, since his weren't much better. He, too, stuffed his face that night. When dinner was over, they found that the students that were in the common room earlier, were gone, replaced with students in years one through three. Mostly they sat around the fire, in the case of the first and second years, gossiping, no doubt. The third years were mostly crowded around the desks, talking and laughing as their quills scribbled away on the parchment. Once, a group of boys sent little charmed papers in the shape of birds over to a group of girls, and when they caught them, James as well, they laughed. James had caught his in his eye, and was swearing as he threw it at them and Sirius was laughing his ass off.

"Shove off, Sirius," James snapped. "It's not funny."

"To you, you mean," Sirius shot back, not missing a beat.

James, unfortunately, did miss that beat, as he opened and closed his mouth a few times, as if he was searching his mind for a witty comeback. There wasn't one, so he stormed off to the dormitory in a huff. Sirius laughed along with Peter, and they swung their arms over each other's shoulder for support. Remus merely shook his head and followed James, although in a more dignified manner.

When Remus reached his door, he heard swear words and a huge crash, followed by stumbling and more, louder and colorful, swear words. He opened the door to find James sprawled out on the floor, his trunk and everything in it scattered all over the floor, some things on top of him. His glasses lay broken next to his head, and he was blinking rapidly as he rubbed the back of his head. "Clumsy, are we?" Remus remarked as he walked in and picked James spectacles off of the floor. He inspected them, the muttered, "Oculus Repairo," under his breath. He let out a snort of satisfaction when the broken glass mended and the screws that held them together moved back into place.

"Maybe," James muttered, sitting up. Remus handed his glasses back to him and bent to pick up some clothes. James watched as Remus folded them and placed them on the floor next to the trunk, which was upside down, no doubt he tripped and went flying over it, and turned the trunk over. He put the folded clothes inside, muttering when he found quills and spilled ink under the trunk, along with a copy of _Quidditch Through the Ages. _James pulled the rest of his clothes off of the floor and threw them ungracefully into the trunk as Remus flicked through the book. A lot of things on the Chaser position were highlighted. Remus guessed James played Chaser.

The door opened and Sirius and Peter came in. James turned to look at them while Remus watched from the corner of his eye. Peter flopped down on the bed and was asleep within moments. Remus admired at how fast that boy could fall asleep, as if he never had to worry about anything else in his life and could just…let go. His attention strayed back to Sirius, who was lazily wandering around his bed, as if looking for something. He found it, and made that known quite quickly by screaming out, "I found it!" Remus jumped, falling down on his butt, James's book falling to the floor. The two boys turned to look at him. The corner of James's mouth twitched, and soon the three of them were catching their breath from laughing so hard. 


End file.
